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By admin, November 30, 2009 2:54 am

Help with Brant genealogy please!?

Which is more accurate and a better price: a Genealogical DNA Test or hiring a professional Genealogist?
Or should I do both?
I need some serious help on the Brant side of my family.
Joseph Brant was my grandfather. He married Carol Neue and they had my mo Loretta. Loretta was adopted by Carol’s half-sister Donna(Carol’s father was Curis Neue, Donna neer knew her father). All that I know is my mom (Loretta) was born in Hood River, Oregon on 11/24/1958. Joseph Brant worked for a loggng company in White Salmon/ Hood River, Oregon in the 1950′s. Supposedly Joseph Brant was German and Native American. The name may have been changed from Brandt to Brant. Joseph Brant’s parents are burried in Hillsboro, Oregon, but I don’t know their names. I believe Joseph Brant died in 1965.

Neither one is necessary, although you can do dna testing if you want. It won’t give you names or dates.
Off the bat.. one of your blocks is that the people you are working, are recent in genealogy terms. Your immediate need is to confirm when/ where Joseph died. I find no Joseph Brant died in 1965, and one 1965 for a Joseph Brandt, in Louisiana. The one record you need is his death certificate, which will give you the dates, his place of birth, and names of his parents. I am using the social security death index (free at rootsweb.com), and he may have had a different first name; you may be off on the year. Your mom’s birth certificate may also have his location of birth. I don’t find Carol Brant in the file either.
With grandpa’s death cert, it will open the door. His social security number will also help, as you can order that file which should have more leads. If mom can lead you to the cemetery name, that may also help.
The key thing is that recent records are more likely to be restricted, but once you get past that, you can get into the historical items. The US census is open for research up to 1930.. it seems that Joseph’s age is close to that line. Assuming that you can get the death certs for the grandparents, you also can get specific dates.. THEY should be in the census in 1930, which has much more info.
Your main thing is opening talk in family, to get to the documents.
edit
Neue is showing up in the familyfiles at rootsweb, and German for sure. It has EARLIER ones that you mention. You need to connect from present until finding the immigrant, but keep those files in mind.

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